The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus

with now, and the farther they advanced the more dreary the landscape became. At noon they stopped for a "picnic luncheon," as Betsy called it, and then they again res

o sharp peaks at the tops. From a distance the mountains appeared indistinct and seemed rather small-more like hills than mountains-but as the tr

erry-Go-Round Mountains,

be," said

ugh," agreed Trot, "but t

covered there was a deep but narrow gulf around the edge of each mountain, and that the mountains were set so close together that the outer gulf was continuous and barred farther advance. At the edge of the gulf they all dismounted and peered over into its depths. There was no telling where the bottom was, if indeed there was any bottom at all. From where they stood it seemed

de to jump across," r

could do it," s

hold on, what good would it do? There's another spinning mountain beyond it, and perhaps still another beyond that. I don't be

with a yawn of his chopped-out mouth as he stared

said the Woozy, wagg

the shepherd's advice,

hat confronted them, would not allow themselves to despair. "If we once get ove

must find some way, of course, to ge

k was with us,

rselves to conquer this difficulty. Unfortunately, all my magic has be

"none of us has wings. And we're in

your waist, Dorothy

gic Belt I once captured from

ne. I'm sure a Magic Belt wou

a knows a lot of its magic, but I've never found out about it.

ss and see if it will obey

ss, it wouldn't help the rest of you, and I couldn't go alon

then, after looking around the group, he i

'm on the water, I can call the Mermaids and they'll come and help me. But the Mermaids

repeated the Wi

gathered under the shade of the tree to study the problem of what to do next. "If we had a long rope," said

then?" asked

he other side," explained the girl, "we could al

d. "And you must remember that the other side is nothing but spinning mou

aid the Patchwork Girl, who had been danci

u mean?" as

eyes around the group. "Ha, I have it!" she exclaimed. "Un

on-Bright doubtfully,

fed with cotton," asserted the Wizard. "If her brains

le the straps together, end to end. And after they had done this, they found they had one very long strap that was stronger than any rope. "It would reach across the gulf eas

the gulf. There he managed to fasten the strap, which reached to the ground below, and then he slid down it and was caught by the Wizard, who feared he might fall into the chasm. Scraps was delighted. She seized the lower end of the strap, and telling them all to get out of her way, she went

nly turned halfway around when Scraps was sent flying to the next mountain behind it. Then her patchwork form disappeared from view e

om one mountain to anot

d nothing to hold on to, and so of course she was tossed from one hill

o!" He seized the dangling strap firmly in his square mouth, and in the same way that Scraps had done swung himself over the gulf. He let go the strap at the right moment and fell upon the first whirling m

ght," remarked Button-Bri

make this desperate leap into the beyond, we must decide

m much to bump against tho

rothy, "and nothing can hurt ME, because I wear the Magic Belt. S

hances," decide

aid to do it," said the Lion, who was already

of course I shall go that I may look after Dorothy. Do you two girls think

d Trot. "It looks risky, I know, but I'm

ing Hank," began Betsy

ahead if you want to, and I'll come after

a coward, friend Hank, and you are

se calmly. "There's never been any question abou

our food and blankets, I fear. But if we can defy these Merry-Go-Round M

nd!" remarked the Lion in a voice tha

best way to find out what will happen to us is to

t," said the Wizard, "s

" decided

irst," said Button-

tened intently, but the boy uttered no cry until he had been gone some moments, when they heard a faint "Hullo-a!" as if called from a great distance. The sound gave th

meadow and was so dazed and bewildered by her bumpy journey across the Merry-Go-Round Mountains that she lay quite still for a time to collect her thoughts. Toto had escaped from her arms just as she fell, and he now sat beside her panting with excitement. Then Dorothy realized that someone was helping her

and sound. But my word, Dorothy, you flew some! If you coul

Button-Bright, "but Time never

so dizzy she couldn't stand at first, but she wasn't at all hurt, and presently Betsy came flying to them and would have bumped into the others had they not retreated in time to avoid her. Then, in quick successio

en they saw that he had wound two of their blankets around his body to keep the bumps from hurtin